Nintendo does not want to block videos containing content that it owns from appearing on Youtube (as many film and music publishers have), but it wants to place ads at the beginning and the end of videos featuring Nintendo games, such as Let's Plays, with that revenue going to Nintendo as opposed to the creator of the video.

Inigo:Nintendo does not want to block videos containing content that it owns from appearing on Youtube (as many film and music publishers have), but it wants to place ads at the beginning and the end of videos featuring Nintendo games, such as Let's Plays, with that revenue going to Nintendo as opposed to the creator of the video.

ZeroCorpse:I really don't understand this whole "watching other people play games" thing. How is that fun? The point of games is to play them yourself, not watch them being played.

They have their uses but not many. For example, yesterday's Crusader kings 2 thread reminded me that I wanted to give it another try, but I am just too dumb to understand the game without having my hand held or watching someone play it.

Or, like my buddy who is too pussy to actually PLAY amnesia so he just watches others play it LOL

ZeroCorpse:I really don't understand this whole "watching other people play games" thing. How is that fun? The point of games is to play them yourself, not watch them being played.

I don't understand it myself, but I love Let's Plays. I wish I could explain it to you, but I just find other people playing games to be interesting/funny. There's a lot of crap out there, though, there's no denying it. Good let's players make it interesting, bad let's players are just "here's something you could do yourself, lulz."

Theaetetus:Inigo: Nintendo does not want to block videos containing content that it owns from appearing on Youtube (as many film and music publishers have), but it wants to place ads at the beginning and the end of videos featuring Nintendo games, such as Let's Plays, with that revenue going to Nintendo as opposed to the creator of the video.

[i.imgur.com image 500x345]

I'm okay with this.

Then there won't be videos featuring Nintendo games, at least on the bigger channels. The bigger channels are jobs for people, it's how they make a living. They'll just avoid Nintendo games. I mean, if that's what Nintendo is going for, it makes sense. It's just kind of strange, because a lot of video game producers either don't care or actively encourage it, since Let's Plays don't usually have negative impacts on game sales and sometimes have positive impacts. Valve and Blizzard I know specifically allow it. Notch (Minecraft) does, as well (Amusingly, one of the Youtube networks, Machinima, tried to get Notch to give them a cut of game sales because their videos helped Minecraft get a bigger audience. Notch laughed in their face).

ZeroCorpse:I really don't understand this whole "watching other people play games" thing. How is that fun? The point of games is to play them yourself, not watch them being played.

Some reasons for watching lets plays:a) seeing if a game is worth playing in the first place by watching someone else play (since you can't rely on publicity/reviews, and no one makes demos any more)b) seeing how to get through a part you're stuck on, or easter eggs you missedc) seeing a game not available on a platform you ownd) humorous/informative commentary

I've ended up buying a couple of games after watching lets plays, particularly Dark Souls.

Theaetetus:Inigo: Nintendo does not want to block videos containing content that it owns from appearing on Youtube (as many film and music publishers have), but it wants to place ads at the beginning and the end of videos featuring Nintendo games, such as Let's Plays, with that revenue going to Nintendo as opposed to the creator of the video.

[i.imgur.com image 500x345]

I'm okay with this.

It's a lose-lose scenario for Nintendo though. The creators of current videos will just remove the original and chop it up into smaller chunks that fall below Nintendo's threshold. People are already used to "lets play" videos being in sets, so they aren't going to be particularly turned off by making larger sets of shorter clips.

So now Nintendo won't get the revenue, and they lost goodwill towards people who were actually playing their games and increasing awareness.

/Did you know that Sega and NEC ENDORSE both emulation and ROMs, so long as the game is not available on physical media for a current console? (Sonic and Phantasy Star are the exceptions, however.)//MS has even pulled a Sega fandom move: Build a functionally 100% working XBox emulator and MS will BUY IT from you and pay you a royalty on it.

Tyrone Slothrop:ZeroCorpse: I really don't understand this whole "watching other people play games" thing. How is that fun? The point of games is to play them yourself, not watch them being played.

Some reasons for watching lets plays:a) seeing if a game is worth playing in the first place by watching someone else play (since you can't rely on publicity/reviews, and no one makes demos any more)b) seeing how to get through a part you're stuck on, or easter eggs you missedc) seeing a game not available on a platform you ownd) humorous/informative commentary

I've ended up buying a couple of games after watching lets plays, particularly Dark Souls.

Tyrone Slothrop:I've ended up buying a couple of games after watching lets plays, particularly Dark Souls.

Dark Souls is an awesome game. Unfortunately, the last software update for PS3 made all the soul markers (and your green soul thingy from when you die) on my screen disappear, which sort of breaks the game.

/got halfway through Blighttown before I read that the Rusted Iron Ring makes the swamp at the bottom much easier//now I have to backtrack back up to the Firelink Shrine, which is proving more difficult than you'd think///stupid monsters standing at the top of ladders and narrow walkways...

Trollin4Colon:ZeroCorpse: I really don't understand this whole "watching other people play games" thing. How is that fun? The point of games is to play them yourself, not watch them being played.

They have their uses but not many. For example, yesterday's Crusader kings 2 thread reminded me that I wanted to give it another try, but I am just too dumb to understand the game without having my hand held or watching someone play it.

Or, like my buddy who is too pussy to actually PLAY amnesia so he just watches others play it LOL

I watch the Crusader Kings and Victoria2 ones, as they are grand strategy games (i.e. they make Civ V look like a game of Risk). With a good LP'er, a video is like ann unfolding Tv show with the host explaining the 'how and why' different events are unfolding and whats happening around you that a starting playing would easily overlook.

Also watching some LP's of roguelikes are fun, especially when you see the players imminent death coming and see their reaction to it

star_topology:There's a small amount of coin some of these people are making.

Not only that, but now the top Lp'ers get free invites to Gaming conventions, free games to play and also free travel to gaming headquarters to check out soon-to-be-released games. Paradox just flew a bunch of Lp'ers to Stockholm, put them up in a swanky hotel and pitted them all against each other in a match of Europa Universalis IV. Sometimes even the game developers will join them on the video and do co-commentary

Of course, there are guys out there with a good schtick like James Rolfe (AVGN) and maybe even Toby Turner to a degree who seems to know what he's doing. Personally, I'll listen to Totalbiscuit, and watch anything Jesse Cox does, he cracks me up. GameGrumps (JonTron) as well. They are good time killers.

hammer85:Tyrone Slothrop: ZeroCorpse: I really don't understand this whole "watching other people play games" thing. How is that fun? The point of games is to play them yourself, not watch them being played.

Some reasons for watching lets plays:a) seeing if a game is worth playing in the first place by watching someone else play (since you can't rely on publicity/reviews, and no one makes demos any more)b) seeing how to get through a part you're stuck on, or easter eggs you missedc) seeing a game not available on a platform you ownd) humorous/informative commentary

I've ended up buying a couple of games after watching lets plays, particularly Dark Souls.

Try dragons dogma. The story is the worst ive ever seen in a game. I mean so bad, you could get more cohesive plot from a farking NES game, but the rest of the game is a blast and very well done. Kinda feels like Dark Souls lite(well, ultra-lite if im going to try to make that comparison) to a extent

Dark Souls is an awesome game. Unfortunately, the last software update for PS3 made all the soul markers (and your green soul thingy from when you die) on my screen disappear, which sort of breaks the game.

/got halfway through Blighttown before I read that the Rusted Iron Ring makes the swamp at the bottom much easier//now I have to backtrack back up to the Firelink Shrine, which is proving more difficult than you'd think///stupid monsters standing at the top of ladders and narrow walkways...

My poor gf is playing it through for the first time and she keeps having to turn off the internet every half hour or so cause some parts of that game are just impossible to play with the flickering (Queelag, Im looking in your direction)

star_topology:Of course, there are guys out there with a good schtick like James Rolfe (AVGN) and maybe even Toby Turner to a degree who seems to know what he's doing. Personally, I'll listen to Totalbiscuit, and watch anything Jesse Cox does, he cracks me up. GameGrumps (JonTron) as well. They are good time killers.

Antimatter:ZeroCorpse: I really don't understand this whole "watching other people play games" thing. How is that fun? The point of games is to play them yourself, not watch them being played.

Because I can't buy and play every game that releases, and sometimes, I find out about games i'd never have otherwise played because I saw them on a lets play / livestream/etc.

You also have things like speedruns and competitive play that can be fun to watch.

The Kaizo Mario levels are also a blast to watch. Some of the craziest death sequences imaginable.

Trollin4Colon:My poor gf is playing it through for the first time and she keeps having to turn off the internet every half hour or so cause some parts of that game are just impossible to play with the flickering (Queelag, Im looking in your direction)

I'll try playing offline and see if that helps with the disappearing souls.

germ78:Antimatter: ZeroCorpse: I really don't understand this whole "watching other people play games" thing. How is that fun? The point of games is to play them yourself, not watch them being played.

Because I can't buy and play every game that releases, and sometimes, I find out about games i'd never have otherwise played because I saw them on a lets play / livestream/etc.

You also have things like speedruns and competitive play that can be fun to watch.

The Kaizo Mario levels are also a blast to watch. Some of the craziest death sequences imaginable.

Trollin4Colon: My poor gf is playing it through for the first time and she keeps having to turn off the internet every half hour or so cause some parts of that game are just impossible to play with the flickering (Queelag, Im looking in your direction)

I'll try playing offline and see if that helps with the disappearing souls.

Cubicle Jockey:Theaetetus: Inigo: Nintendo does not want to block videos containing content that it owns from appearing on Youtube (as many film and music publishers have), but it wants to place ads at the beginning and the end of videos featuring Nintendo games, such as Let's Plays, with that revenue going to Nintendo as opposed to the creator of the video.

[i.imgur.com image 500x345]

I'm okay with this.

It's a lose-lose scenario for Nintendo though. The creators of current videos will just remove the original and chop it up into smaller chunks that fall below Nintendo's threshold. People are already used to "lets play" videos being in sets, so they aren't going to be particularly turned off by making larger sets of shorter clips.

So now Nintendo won't get the revenue, and they lost goodwill towards people who were actually playing their games and increasing awareness.

To me, an analagous situation is an art textbook. Sure, you may need the artwork to comment on, but the artists don't get to demand the entire profit margin from the book. A good LP will have commentary (Gamegrumps and TBFP). Time and effort is definitely put in to make the LP good, and not everyone can do a good LP. All Nintendo is doing is making sure that LPs are not Nintendo, since nobody is going to make any money off of it. Why use your time and channel space on something that somebody else is getting paid for when there are Microsoft, PC, and Sony titles right there?

ZeroCorpse:I really don't understand this whole "watching other people play games" thing. How is that fun? The point of games is to play them yourself, not watch them being played.

Because the appeal of video games is to find answers and solutions for overcoming interactive systems. Unfortunately, that requires you actually understand how they work, and as we're finding out, only a small percentage of video game players are actually capable of doing this. For those who can't, then there's really no difference between playing them and watching others play them. Therefore, e-Sports. Therefore, Let's Play videos. Therefore, "interactive entertainment".

NeverDrunk23:Antimatter: ZeroCorpse: I really don't understand this whole "watching other people play games" thing. How is that fun? The point of games is to play them yourself, not watch them being played.

Because I can't buy and play every game that releases, and sometimes, I find out about games i'd never have otherwise played because I saw them on a lets play / livestream/etc.

You also have things like speedruns and competitive play that can be fun to watch.

I like watching speedruns and Tool assisted speedruns. Not a fan of let's plays, though. I'd rather watch as is game footage instead of listening to people talk.

Watching Megaman videos now makes me want to play some NES megaman.

I don't like the recorded ones, but watching lives ones can be nice at times. Fell in love with minecraft after watching Cliantrogamer and some others play, while Xcom: enemy Unknown went from unknown to a must buy after watching a few people play.

Ditto for stuff like super meat boy and VVVVVV. For classic games, folks like Romscout, CarlSagan, Trihex, or others is just awe inspiring at times.

For fighting games, rarely do I long enjoy playing them, but watching skilled players play live is a thing of beauty.

Dimensio:star_topology: Of course, there are guys out there with a good schtick like James Rolfe (AVGN) and maybe even Toby Turner to a degree who seems to know what he's doing. Personally, I'll listen to Totalbiscuit, and watch anything Jesse Cox does, he cracks me up. GameGrumps (JonTron) as well. They are good time killers.

and then there's this guy...[img.photobucket.com image 400x266]

Who?

That's PewDiePie. He's a Swedish video game commentator and his schtick is overly-dramatic reactions to scary moments in games. His Amnesia series was absolutely unwatchable because of him. Also he uses homophobic language in his videos. His videos aren't about the games at all; they're about him reacting to the games. Tolerable for about a minute, and then it's just painful.

They're not going after or shutting down videos. They're monetizing the videos that people are monetizing.

"As part of our on-going push to ensure Nintendo content is shared across social media channels in an appropriate and safe way, we became a YouTube partner and as such in February 2013 we registered our copyright content in the YouTube database. For most fan videos this will not result in any changes, however, for those videos featuring Nintendo-owned content, such as images or audio of a certain length, adverts will now appear at the beginning, next to or at the end of the clips. We continually want our fans to enjoy sharing Nintendo content on YouTube, and that is why, unlike other entertainment companies, we have chosen not to block people using our intellectual property.

Conflicted. On the one hand, someone who makes a movie or piece of static art has the right to collect any ad revenue generated from unauthorized showings of it. On the other hand, if someone were to make a tool that someone else were to use to create art (such as a piano or a paintbrush,) they would have no claim to any ad revenue generated from the art. Is a Nintendo game the art or the tool? It's kind of grey.

Tommy Moo:Conflicted. On the one hand, someone who makes a movie or piece of static art has the right to collect any ad revenue generated from unauthorized showings of it. On the other hand, if someone were to make a tool that someone else were to use to create art (such as a piano or a paintbrush,) they would have no claim to any ad revenue generated from the art. Is a Nintendo game the art or the tool? It's kind of grey.

The question that you're getting it is the issue of transformative work. A hotly contested issue, and one that sort've sucks with an automated system like ContentID. Are there LPs that are gameplay and nothing else? Yes. Are there LPs that are (in my opinion) worthy of monetization because they add something to the game or are generally value added? Yes. Is Nintendo a hamfisted giant for smashing both groups for what amounts to chump change, PR blow, and Advertisement suicide? Yes.

Tommy Moo:On the other hand, if someone were to make a tool that someone else were to use to create art (such as a piano or a paintbrush,) they would have no claim to any ad revenue generated from the art. Is a Nintendo game the art or the tool? It's kind of grey.

This was settled about thirty or so years ago when Arctic International bootlegged Williams Electronics' Defender, and when Arctic got sued, they claimed that the game could not be copyrighted because the on-screen actions were not "fixed", and that the copyright (to some degree) was actually held by the player, who was the one actually creating the fixed expression on the screen. Arctic got their ass kicked and set all of the necessary precedent for the means by which games are fixed, tangible works, with the copyrights for the game assets (no matter their manipulation) held by the game creator. This was the argument that Blizzard used to settle the matter of South Korean StarCraft, since the game assets are all copyrighted, irrespective of the differences in the individual playthroughs.

Mike_LowELL:Tommy Moo: On the other hand, if someone were to make a tool that someone else were to use to create art (such as a piano or a paintbrush,) they would have no claim to any ad revenue generated from the art. Is a Nintendo game the art or the tool? It's kind of grey.

This was settled about thirty or so years ago when Arctic International bootlegged Williams Electronics' Defender, and when Arctic got sued, they claimed that the game could not be copyrighted because the on-screen actions were not "fixed", and that the copyright (to some degree) was actually held by the player, who was the one actually creating the fixed expression on the screen. Arctic got their ass kicked and set all of the necessary precedent for the means by which games are fixed, tangible works, with the copyrights for the game assets (no matter their manipulation) held by the game creator. This was the argument that Blizzard used to settle the matter of South Korean StarCraft, since the game assets are all copyrighted, irrespective of the differences in the individual playthroughs.

I don't think the game's copyright is under question, but more if the addition of commentary, as well as removing the interactive element from the game constitutes a transformative work, and consequently,the issue of fair use.